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Vaelrin Firestorm
Vaelrin Firestorm is a Ranger and former Pirate Captain currently on a road towards redemption of his past crimes by offering a lifetime of servitude to the Kingdom of Quel'thalas. He is the first born son of House Firestorm and currently inherits all that is tied to the name as Patriarch and Lord after reviving it from its dormant state after the fall of Quel'thalas. A once ruthless and cunning Pirate of the Great, North, and South Seas, this curmudgeon has retired his marauding lifestyle and instead has put his years worth of experience and knowledge of the underworld to better service the Thalassian militia and regiment. He currently holds a seat of rank in The Sunguard as Ranger-Captain, overseeing as Commander of the unit composed of hunters, rogues, and monks known as The Pathfinders. Appearance One wonders if this elf has ever known a pleasant day judging from the perpetual look of disdain written across his face. The sour expression nearly mirroring the grisly choice for a helmet he so rarely takes off. He is frequently seen wearing only that of his armor; a pale shade of midnight black enchanted with the touch of fel corruption, worn with age and scratched from many battles. Coupled with the tabard baring the insignia of The Sunguard, his presence and appearance marks him as an unmistakable member of the Quel'thalas militia. When not sighted with his helm — a rare circumstance as of late — inky black strands hangs at waist length when not confined to the small space of his helm. A mess of wavy, raven locks gathered haphazardly into a ribbon and worn over his shoulder as means to tidy his unkempt appearance. A pair of gold hoop earrings hangs off each ear and an arrangement of various rings worn on all of his fingers. Almond-shaped eyes lined with dark kohl glow brightly with the corruption of fel; remnants of a decision formed from a desire to survive many years ago. While not apparent to the naked human eye, age has toned this once young and aspiring Farstrider into a rigid and cold Ranger. Eyes framed with crow’s feet give away the elf’s venerable life point. Depending on the language, the timbre of his voice tends to alter slightly when changing from Orcish to Thalassian. In his native tongue, the words are crisp and spoken with a gratuitous waxed lilt of gentility in his speech and verbiage. However, in Orcish, that sea-faring lifestyle makes its presence known as every word is spoken with a strong ‘pirate/sailor’ enunciation adapted from centuries spent in their company. If one were to care to look, they can make out what appears to be an orate signet seen on his left hand. A beautiful ring crafted in gold and adorned in various sapphire gems. Those of noble peerage will recognize the insignia as belonging to House Firestorm -- a once powerful Magister house that fell from grace due to the near destruction of Quel'thalas. It appears that not all the members of this prestigious household were claimed by the Scourge. Personality Vaelrin’s personality can be described simply as laconic—a brooding presence that teeters between dour indifference to odious in demeanor. Serious to a fault, he carries a near consistent introverted disposition in the presence of strangers, ever leery and guarded of those who ask too much or attempt to get too close. Once a natural born socialite capable of whipping up conversation with a smile and a laugh, years of playing the hiding game has transformed him into a bit of a misanthrope, favoring solitude and silence over chatter and company. While not the most charismatic individual, he is known for several hedonistic attributes such as his philandering, alcoholism, and larceny. When prompted to speak, Vaelrin's mannerisms can often be a touch crass and sarcastic, his language often colorful and profane with scant regard for sobriety and decorum. He is every bit a 'sailor' in casual company, lewd and overly facetious towards those who are easy to rile. Of course this behavior is only a small facet of his complicated makeup, the layers that make up his being unraveled only when an established level of trust is reached. Fighting & Weaponry Despite being born into a house composed of magisters and arcanists, Vaelrin Firestorm does not share the same strong ties to magic like that of his kin. Instead, his strength lies in his performance with the bow after years of training with the Farstriders. While he is capable of using guns and crossbows, the Ranger hold a strong preference to bows alone. Yet a life at sea quickly trained this elf to learn the use of additional weaponry such as cutlasses, pistols, and daggers — weapons that were easy to carry or conceal. He uses a combination of his learned abilities through his service as a Farstrider and cunning wit and knowledge gained by his self-proclaimed status as a Pirate Lord. Like most Rangers, Vaelrin relies on his senses to draw out his opponent and subdue them through use of traps, a quick hand, and speed. He is a natural survivalist, able to take out his enemies without being sighted and track from long range. When prompted, the Ranger-Captain will use various pets to accomplish tasks that need a hand. While not heavily reliant on animals, he uses them when there is need for it. ='History'= Early Life & Political Scandal Early Life Vaelrin Firestorm is the third child and first born son to an offspring of ten. He was born into the illustrious House of Firestorm, a noble house well known for their claimants of being a 'pure' blood line composed of magical users only. He was named after his greatest of great grandfathers out of sheer ego that his father, Fandell Firestorm, believed he would be as equally strong as he thanks to his union with Livonia Dawnveil who hailed from the prestigous House Dawnveil. Ever proud and hopeful that his first son would carry on the pure line with immediate understanding of the arcane arts, Vaelrin's spent the earlier days of his childhood surrounded by tutors and scholars of every school of magic in pursuit to learn of his natural born talents. It was Vaelrin's hope to prove himself a worthy and respectable member of the house by demonstrating his capabilities, yet time would reveal that the elf failed in grasping the basic understanding of magic and was not nearly attuned like that of his siblings. It was a shocking revelation that shook the very core of the House seeing that they had relied and boasted so heavily on their line being 'pure'. With his pride heavily on the line, Fandell blamed his son's lack of understanding on a mere fluke and soon placed his attention on his next born son. Much of his adolescence was spent raised with the belief that he was a failure to his family. It wasn’t until his twentieth summer did he discover that his passion lied not with the art of magic, but with the bow and arrow. With his mother’s blessing and his father’s disinterest, Vaelrin was removed from his schoolings of the magic and enlisted to train as a Ranger so that he would later be admitted into the ranks known as the Farstriders. To some this was considered a less respectable path (and a shocking revelation for someone who hailed from the House that cried of only producing one kind) for those of his lineage, but Vaelrin was determined to prove that this was an equally honorable and respectable path to take. Yet the relationship between them was constantly rocky, Vaelrin being ever rebellious to the responsibilities of nobility and Fandell far too stubborn to change or bend to his son's impractical beliefs. Scandal The greatest betrayal came when he had disobeyed his father’s last wish to try and make use of his son by arranging a marriage to an equally prestigious and large house, yet one that held strong ties and worked alongside the great and royal line; one of which could secure an even higher standing. Their union would bring about a joining of forces that would – or was said to— produce a new form of arcanist magi. Sadly this great arrangement was doomed from the start to never take place. It was never to be, as the man had married in secret to another woman named Callisto Fairstrike. A priestess and daughter to Dinavos of House Fairstrike, a humble yet lesser noble house with allegiance to the Church of the Holy Light. The union, albeit unwanted, was left with no choice but to be acknowledged, as it was discovered Callisto was already with child. The union was a short lived arrangement. A month after the birth of their first son, Shadenii Firestorm, Callisto was murdered by the hands of a mystery attacker. A great hunt to find the culprit was set into motion, but the results did not end in Vaelrin's favor. The nature of Callisto’s murder was a mystery seeing as there were several who desired her dead for a number of reasons, such as the jealousy of her once lover, and the rage of a father who felt robbed at his opportunity for glory. But whatever schemed plan was devised backfired when the named murderer was said to be the husband, Vaelrin. This was of course was false, but the evidence was against him. After having discovered he had been framed, he sought revenge on those who had wronged him. With two crimes that now tarnished his name, the man was left with little choice but to banish himself. He fled for safety by joining as a poor cabin boy among a group of thieves and pirates. As a last standing effort to protect his son, whom he did still love in spite of his faults, Fandell proclaimed him dead and thus ended the hunt for his head. This scandal was buried and hidden away with the news of a new union between that of his second son and another. The scar of this scandal was bandaged by this union, though it was one never forgotten by those who knew of the participants. Piracy & Sea Life Piracy was not a path he chose willingly. It was one he fled to when there were no other options left. To remain in Quel’thalas was to risk being trialed and likely put to death if he was not cleared of his charges. Fearing the worst, the young Vaelrin fled and lived a life on the run for several years, hiding in various shelters while taking on a simpler lifestyle much different than his catered one. During this time he lost his identity and poised himself as a drifter and panhandler. Living off scraps and foraging what he could in the woods, this period was a rather dark one for the young Ranger. After losing his wife, child, family, and all that he was known for, much of this time was spent teetering back and forth through stages of depression. It was an act of fate and mercy when he had come upon a band of pirates one fateful evening while traversing through Stormwind. The nefarious Captain Brisbane—a human pirate and ex-member of the Lordaeron Army—and his crew composed of various men and women of many races, had taken up shelter one evening at one of the local taverns. After winning a brawl over a loaf of bread, the ranger's interest was piqued by the Captain's offer to come and work for him in exchange for food and shelter. It was an easy decision to make at the time as it was the first time anyone had showed him any iota of hospitality. Seeking refuge and a place to call his own, he swore himself to the Captain of the ship and was taken aboard to handle the basic necessities on the ship such as swabbing the deck and preparing the crew’s meals. It wasn’t until much later on during his time aboard did he join the crew in their various assaults. For the next several years, Vaelrin worked tirelessly to earn his place within the ranks of thieves, convicts, and cutthroats on board the massive brig named The Howling Plague. Twenty years later, it was a combination of age and foolishness that ended Captain Brisbane's reign on the South Seas. His death left the crew without a proper leader to take charge and most of the crew had departed to join others or simply take up retirement. Having worked his way into First Mate status, Vaelrin took this opportunity to gather those who wished to remain together and work under his leadership with promise of glory, fortune, and freedom for years to come. Those who chose to follow his lead joined him on their first voyage to sea using the Howling Plague. Eager to prove himself as a worthy Captain, he led the group to take siege of a massive vessel and succeeded in claiming the ship as their own. To celebrate their newfound path and rise of a new Captain, they abandoned the Howling Plague to take up residence permanently on the new ship which was aptly named The Cursed Revenge. Vaelrin took up the helm as Captain at around 130 years old and continued this path for the next several centuries. Time and experience transformed the elf into a hardened enigma, his legacy as Captain built off the various rumors of his supposed origins and how he came to be known as “Black Jack”. “They say he killed ten men at once fer cheatin’ at a game of black jack.” “He wiped out his whole family then took to th’ sea, scary one that lad.” "He's an elf. Th' lad uses those mystical powers of his to get what he wants, no doubt. Magic, I tell ya!" While many of the rumors were nothing more than pirate tales shared with those eager to listen, they helped in building an image for himself that traveled Fall of Quel'thalas For centuries, the man sailed abroad taking on a new name and life as the Black Jack of the Revenge. It was not until news traveled of Quel'thalas falling that the man thought to turn his attention back to home. Piracy had, in a strange way, saved the man from the fate that a majority of his family faced: their untimely death. The news shook the man whole and, for a short time, made him abandon his post as Captain for a short time to take up to the duties as a Farstrider once again. It did not last, for the behavior of the Kael'thas and the direction the Blood Elves headed turned him away. He participated until it was no longer feasible to do so. He avenged his family to the fullest of his ability until it was clear that the now reformed SIN'dorei were headed in a direction he was not entirely sure he could support. The seas called again and the man took to them. With few ties to those in Quel'thalas, he kept his eyes and ears glued to the changes that his people faced, but a distance so not to involve himself what was now truly the past. Cataclysm Of course, even that path was a short lived pursuit. With the coming of Deathwing came a disruption of the very seas he loved and sailed upon. One unexpecting evening turned critical when the very waves he loved turned against him. What exactly the crew faced remains much of a mystery, yet the results led to a crashed ship ashore and much of his crew either lost to the sea or simply lost. The Captain himself was equally marked as 'lost'. For close to a year and a half there was no tale of his whereabouts save for the occasinal word of seeing him here or there. It was not until well after Deathwing's fall did he emerge from the depths of no where to enlist into the Sunguard. The Sunguard Vaelrin is the first to have joined the Sunguard not by saying the Oath, but signing a contract that had the Oath written on it. The reason for this is because he joined under the guise of a man named 'J'. A man who was mute and kept his appearance concealed beneath a helm that he refused to remove in public (or private). By enlisting into the military, Vaelrin could traverse within the city limits without fear of prosecution just by keeping his tabard and helmet on always. No one would suspect that an enlisted soldier of a respect order to be a wanted pirate. His intent was to remain until he could gather enough funds to repair his ship and locate the whereabouts of his crew, yet investment and time within the militia pushed those goals further aside in favor of assisting. It did not take long for the man's identity to reveal itself when questioned. In hope to prove his worth, Vaelrin came forth of his identity to the present Archon at the time. To his surprise, did not turn the man over, but instead continued to put his trust in the man and his capabilities as a fighter. It was the first in a long time that anyone had showed him trust and could ignore his past faults to see he was capable of being given a chance. That chance was something that Vaelrin did not waste as he continued to put his life on the line whenever the Archon called. Fierce loyalty and dedication is what made Vaelrin rise in ranks. As Sunward, the Wraith Vaelrin was tasked with the job of forming the division now known as the Pathfinders. This division is looked upon as the “hidden blade” of the Archon handling matters such as espionage, assassinations, and the dirty routes of getting the job done. Cutthroats of Rogues, Hunters, Monks, and Druids all joined under one banner. With dedication, commitment, and time, Vaelrin rose to the rank of Officer Ranger-Captain where he served alongside the Archon until his passing. Currently Vaelrin continues to serve as Ranger-Captain with the current Archon Telchis Truefeather. Though he vowed to depart for the seas should Felthier ever fall, decisions changed to make him stay and 'watch over' the former Archon's son. He is currently stationed in Dalaran assissting with matters regarding the movement with Legion forces. =List of Known Crimes= The PIRATE and FELON known to many as "BLACK JACK" has been CHARGED with and is WANTED by the THALASSIAN STATE for the following crimes: * Two counts of FIRST DEGREE MURDER of NOBLE MEMBERS to the KINGDOM OF QUEL'THALAS. * Three count of HIGH TREASON to the Kingdom of Quel'thalas. * Three hundred counts of ASSAULT on AGENTS of the CROWN. * Thirty-Four counts of RESISTING ARREST. * Three hundred and fifteen counts of MUTINY aboard a NAVAL VESSEL. * Over one thousand counts of PIRACY. * Ten counts of ATTEMPTED MURDER of an AGENT of the CROWN. * Two hundred and fifty counts of MURDER of NAVAL OFFICERS. The CRIMINAL, "Black Jack", is to be detained and tried for his numerous crimes against that of the KINGDOM OF QUEL'THALAS and that of its''' ALLIES.' '''As of 10/20/2014, most of these charges are conveniently "lost" or removed from the documentation.' =Trivia and Facts= * The easiest and probably most sought after technique to get him to speak tends to be through rum of any variety. Not only does it tend to earn one favor, but drinking often allows him to speak a bit more freely of himself without any show of hesitation. Some of his most revealing conversations were the results of having far too much to drink. * Though he states he is no longer a pirate, truth be told is that Vaelrin is merely "dormant". This means that while he is not actively doing piracy, that is not to say he will never return to it. Currently, there are many reasons that keep him anchored such as his allegiance to Felthier Truefeather along with several other existing reasons. * Face and looks inspiration for Vaelrin Firestorm are the male models Andrei Andrei and Willy Cartier respectively. =Links & Additional Reading= Forever AFK / Vaelrin - Tagged stories, memes, and chat about Vaelrin on OOC blog. S e a K i n g - Inspiration & Writing Tumblr for Vaelrin Firestorm =Gallery= Vaelrin Firestorm finished.png|Lord of House Firestorm by Pinxiedust Vaelrin_Firestorm_finished_effects.png|Lord of House Firestorm by Pinxiedust (v2) tumblr_nmdxa8gNZe1s2jo4vo1_1280.png|Pirate Lord by Deyaenus vaelrin_stephornMED.png|Lord Firestorm by Melfias tumblr_n3gigzkZ6h1s2jo4vo1_1280.png|Shirtless by Deyaenus WJuPCpX.png|Work by Deyaenus tumblr_n8m8jlOtsF1s2jo4vo1_1280.png|Pirate by Deyaenus vaelrinmirror.jpg|Mirror by Reimann tumblr_n0pevrty3j1qh89pyo1_500.jpg|Profile by silveruby tumblr_nlsilaOwwL1s2jo4vo1_1280.png|Talk by Deyaenus smoking.png|Smoke & Drink by Deyaenus regalia.png|Regalia by Deyaenus stare.png|Gaze by Rhosmera undress.png|Undress for the Sunguard by Deyaenus smile.png|Profile by illuminest vaelrinwaist.png|Reserved by Reimann tumblr_mlu1436nTc1s7or8fo1_1280.png|Vaelrin's unnamed Horse by Deyaenus vaelrin-drinking.png vaelrin-lineart.png vaelrin-face.jpg mack-vaelrin-websize.png vaelrin-lil2 (1).jpg|by littleliongod vaelrin-lil3.jpg 25_by_kimberlyswan-d9zthc3.jpg tumblr_o4d02mIBsy1s7or8fo1_1280.png 8fsm.jpg|Captain "Black Jack" v.jpg Category:Characters Category:Pathfinders Category:Pirates